If improvisation is one of the worst enemies of the crisis communicationThe crisis manual becomes the best of our allies. It is a living document which serves as roadmap and establishes the basic response mechanisms to deal with a crisis. It should contain the main activities to follow before, during and after of its occurrence. In addition, will collect each of the hypothetical scenarios that could trigger a potential crisis for our organisation and that could analysing resources and financial resources needed to deal with it.
As a central element of good planning, the crisis manual needs to respond to four basic sections:
– Target to be achieved in each case
– Message to be issued accordingly
– Definition of audiences and communication channels timely
- Preparation of a action plan
To be effective, it must respond to three fundamental rules:
- Any plan must be tried and tested
- It has to be regularly updated (on a quarterly basis)
- It must include a budget (logistical and operational elements)
And what content should it include? The two slides shown below give an account of the main elements that no manual, however basic, should leave out.
But there is no point in having developed the most sophisticated of manuals if it is not put into practice during a trial run called the drill. The aim of the exercises is to check the functioning of the plan and the inclusion of the timely improvements.
The simulation exercises consist of the reproduction of crisis situations in which the company's representatives have to:
– dealing with management of an event...
- while at the same time respond to media requests of communication...
- in a environment the most realistic possible.
By their very nature, exercises must necessarily be surprising (the exercise leader will establish the date, time and typology of the alleged crisis) in order to provide them with a more truthfulness and obtain the better results.